Boys High School football kicks off across the state this week and the Reavis Rams will host crosstown rival St. Laurence Vikings Friday, August 30th in what is being billed as the "Battle of Burbank." Varsity game time is 7:00 p.m.

Maxpreps.com ranks Reavis 281 while St. Laurence is ranked 316 nationally. Both teams are looking to get off to a fast start in this first non-conference game of the season. The Rams and the Vikings are coming off of losing seasons in 2012 (Reavis 4-5, StL 1-8) and are hoping to turn things around right off the get-go.

The Burbank Beat is giving away a "Battle of Burbank" T-shirt and a 2013 St. Laurence Viking coupon book. The Burbank Beat is proud to support our Burbank schools! The T-shirt was purchased to support the Reavis Marching Band program and the coupon book was purchased to support the St. Laurence football program.

Here are the rules of the contest if you'd like to enter:

HOW TO ENTER

To participate in this contest, leave a reply at the bottom of this page (NOT on our Facebook page!).

Complete the Name, Email, and Comments sections (your email address will not be visible to others). You may leave the website section blank.

In the comments section, predict the winning team and the total number of points scored by both teams. (Example: If you think the Vikings will beat Reavis 20-14, your comment should look like this: Winner St. Laurence, 34 points).

RULES

One entry per email address please! Subsequent entries by the same email address will be discarded.

Incomplete entries will be discarded.

Contest closes at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 30, 2013. All replies must be received by then.

A representative of the Burbank Beat will be the judge. All decisions by the judge are final.

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION

The entrant who correctly predicts both the winning team and point total will be the winner.

If more than one entrant correctly predicts both the winning team and point total, those entrants will be entered in a random drawing. One winner will be selected.

If no one correctly predicts both the winning team and point total, those entrants who correctly predict the winning team will be entered into a random drawing.

Yesterday, Burbank residents got their first peek inside the new park district fitness center. Dubbed the "Fusion RecPlex," this state of the art facility hosts a wide variety of first-class exercise equipment and amenities.

The grand opening of the RecPlex is set for Sunday, September 7th at 10 a.m. An all day celebration is planned featuring food, drinks, and games.

The City Council is elected to represent the interests of the citizenry and is responsible for delivering the services necessary to meet the needs of the community.

The Council determines service levels and revenue obligations through the adoption of an annual budget, authorizes city contracts and expenditures, establishes city service and operating policies, and enacts local laws as necessary for the benefit of the community.

The regular Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 6530 W. 79th Street, 2nd floor. All City Council meetings are open to the public. Notice of the meetings and agenda items are provided to the local media at least 72 hours in advance and posted at City Hall. At times, the Council may have a closed session for discussing specific items concerning personnel, litigation or property matters.

St. Albert the Great Parish will host its annual carnival this weekend. The carnival will kick-off Thursday, Aug. 22 and run through Sunday, Aug. 25. Billed as "4 Days of Fun, Food, Rides, and Games," the carnival will be held in a new and larger location at the NE corner of 79th Street and Harlem Avenue (Bridgeview).

The carnival hours are 6 to 10 p.m. August 22; 6 to 11:30 p.m. August 23; 3 to 11:30 p.m. August 24; and 2 to 10 p.m. August 25.

Megapass bracelets, which are good for unlimited rides all 4 days, are available for purchase at a pre-sale price of $45 until Wednesday, Aug. 21. Megapass bracelets can be purchased beginning Thursday, Aug 22 for $55. Call the parish at (708)-423-0321 for details.

Events include a parish raffle with a guaranteed 1st prize payout of $5,000, split-the-pot raffles, and a silent auction.

An exciting lineup of live entertainment is planned for all four nights and features:

Thursday, Aug. 22

Dave Schmidt & the Blue Snouts - 7 to 10 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23

Rockets 4 Rebels - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tumbling Dice - 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug 24

Kickin Wing - 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Five Guys Named Moe - 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 25

Deja Vu - 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

A bilingual Polish/English mass is planned for noon Sunday on the carnival grounds. Afterward Polish entertainment will be presented from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Acts include Tornado Band, Polish Elvis, and Wesoly Lud. Polish Highlanders will be on hand to entertain the crowd with their lively music, dancing, and colorful costumes .

A variety of food will be available for purchase from local restaurants including Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe and Mabenka Polish Restaurant.

For more information on the carnival and to purchase megapass bracelets, contact St. Albert the Great Parish at (708) 423-0321.

"Happy Thursday to Everyone!! Please mark your calendars that on Saturday, August 24th from 10am-3pm, we will be having a SNEAK PEEK CELEBRATION at our New Fusion RecPlex. This way YOU can come and see the new facility before it opens! We will be posting an itinerary of the days events as we get a little closer to the 24th!! Time to get EXCITED!!!"

Accompanying Facebook photos show, although the RecPlex is nearing completion, it's still a work in progress.

The Burbank Park District summer "Movie in the Park" series continues Friday, August 16. Madagascar 3 will be shown beginning at 8:30 p.m. in Newcastle Park located at 8050 S. Newcastle Ave.

A fun evening for kids and adults alike. Residents are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Call the park district office with questions at 708-599-2070.

PUPPY PLAYTIME

The Park District will host "Puppy Playtime" Saturday, August 17, from 10-11 a.m. at the Newcastle Park field house.

Each play session is supervised by a Certified Dog trainer to ensure every puppy is having a good experience. Puppies must be at least 12 weeks old and no older than 9 months. Please bring proof of puppy vaccinations to the playtime session.

Burbank Park District dog trainer extraordinaire Kimberly Bandusky reminds dog owners that socialization is very important to dogs, especially puppies!